This page was last updated on May 9 2011

 

ITALY. (APRIL 25 TO APRIL 29 2011)

 

On Monday morning April 25th  2011, eight of our group left with me to Dublin to travel to Rome and on to the Tuscan town of Chiusi for a few days of outdoor painting and relaxation. We stayed in the charming studios of Julian and Amanda Hyzler.

http://www.artistinitaly.com/

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Artist-in-Italy/82307245442

Seven of us Anna, Betty, Caroline, Clare, Eamonn, Kay and Monica travelled to Florence whilst Patricia and Joe explored Siena.

 

 We went to the local town of Chiusi on Wednesday and began painting some of the local countryside that afternoon.

 

We spent most of the day Thursday painting but still found time on Thursday evening at the town of Castillo del Largo followed by a final visit to a local restaurant

Early start on Friday for the airport. Arrived in Sligo at 7.30pm on Friday evening.   

 

SOME PICTURES

 

Outside Chiusi Train Station. Patricia and Joe are heading for Siena and the rest of us are going to Florence.

 

Tuesday 26th May 2011. (From Left)  Kay Lyons, Caroline Bradshaw, Anna McGloin, Clare Casey, Monica Conlon and and Betty Smyth in front of the statue of David in Florence

Plaza de la Republic, Florence. From left. Kay, Anna, Monica, Caroline, Clare and Betty.

Group photo taken in front of the Ponte Vecchio. (Patricia and Joe travelled to Siena earlier that morning)

Betty pole dancing on the train to Santa Maria de Novella, Florence.

Eamonn and Monica on the Ponte Vechhio, Florence

Joe working outside the studio

Clare Casey in front of the Ponte Vecchio in Florence

 

Anna, Caroline and Betty with the Uffizzi Gallery and River Arno.in the background

Patricia.

Kay.

After a busy day painting. (ieft to right) Patricia, Caroline, Anna, Monica, Kay, Betty and Joe. (Picture: Clare)

Tartufo takes a shine to Clare

 

 

More Pictures to follow.

 

 

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 ITALIAN TRIPS (APRIL 2010) 

 

 PAINTING IN TUSCANY. 26-30 APRIL 2010 

 

 

Rome, Chiusi, Siena and Florence.

 

   

 Flags of Umbria and Tuscany

 

 MONDAY (DAY ONE)

  

After arriving from airport. 

A bit tired after the journey. (l-r) Clare, Eamonn and Doirin.

 

Eamonn and Una

  

Clare and Una

 

Later that evening

 

After dinner

Monday evening's sunset (Note:- my camera clock is slow)

 DAY 2  TUESDAY  (FLORENCE AND SIENA)

 The Ponte Vecchio ("Old Bridge") a Medieval bridge built over the River  Arno, noted for still having shops built along it.  Butchers initially occupied these shops.  The present tenants are jewelers, art dealers and souvenir sellers. It has been described as Europe's oldest arch bridge

  

 Clare and Una went to Siena (above and below) on Tuesday as it happened was fine with little or no rain. 

 

Una in Siena

 

Una, Maura, Brid and Doirin in front of Michangelo's statue of David.

 

 

Having lunch in front of the Ponte Vecchio

It is believed that a bridge was first built in Roman times,  After being destroyed by a flood in 1117 it was reconstructed in stone but swept away again in 1333.  It was rebuilt in 1345 It has always hosted shops and merchants who displayed their goods on tables before their premises, 

It is said that the concept of bankruptcy  originated here: when a merchant could not pay his debts, the table on which he sold his wares (the "banco") was physically broken ("rotto") by soldiers, and this practice was called "bancorotto" (broken table; possibly it can come from "banca rotta" which means "broken bank"). Not having a table anymore, the merchant was not able to sell anything.  

To enforce the prestige of the bridge, in 1593 the Medici Grand Dukes prohibited butchers from selling there; their place was immediately taken by several gold merchants. The corporative association of butchers had monopolised the shops on the bridge since 1442.  

Along the Ponte Vecchio, there were many padlocks locked to various places, This is a recent tradition for the Ponte Vecchio,  It is popularly connected to idea of love and lovers: it is said that by locking the padlock and throwing the key into the river, the lovers became eternally bonded. Thousands of padlocks have to be removed frequently, spoiling or damaging the structure of the centuries-old bridge; In recent years though, this practice seems to have stopped after the city council put a sign on the bridge saying a €50 penalty would be imposed for those caught locking something to the fence.

 

During World War ll, the Ponte Vecchio was spared by the Germans during their retreat of August 4, 1944, unlike all other bridges in Florence. This was allegedly ordered by Hitler.  
The bridge was severely damaged though during a flood in 1966
The bridge is mentioned in the famous aria O mio babbino caro (click to listen)
 
O mio babbino caro (translation)
Oh my dear papa
I love him, he is handsome, handsome
I want to go to Porta Rossa
to buy the ring!
Yes, yes, I want to go there!
And if my love were in vain,
I would go to the Ponte Vecchio
and throw myself in the Arno!
I am being consumed in torment!
Oh God, I'd like to die!
Papa, have pity, have pity!
Papa, have pity, have pity!
 

 

 

 

Una, Maura, Brid and Doirin

 

 

 

Who's this?

 

 

 

 

 

At The Uffizi Gallery in front of a statue of Leonardo da Vinci

 

DAY 3 and 4 (WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY) PAINTING DAYS

On the way to the painting sites

 

 

One cannot think of Tuscany without thinking of the magnificent cypress tree, so symbolic of the Tuscan landscape that it has adopted the name of "The Tuscan cypress tree. The Cypress was brought to the Tuscan area by the mysterious Etruscan tribes-people many thousands of years ago who considered the plant to have supernatural and mystical connections.

It is a tree that can survive for up to 2,000 years or more, and while the other deciduous trees would lose their leaves in the winter, the cypress trees retained theirs- rendering it supernatural in the eyes of the early tribes-people.

 

Doirin

 

Clare

 

Brid

 

 

Una

 

Maura

 

 

Una

 

Brid with her finished work

 

Una almost finished

 

 

 

 

Doirin finishing her painting

 

(l-r) Maura, Una, Eamonn, Doirin.

 

Relaxing after a days painting. 

 

 Clare withTartufo

 

 

Una with Tartufo

 

THURSDAY EVENING AT CHIUSI

Chiusi coat of arms

 Clare and Una in the local Tuscan town of Chiusi

 

Una and Doirin in Chiusi

 

THE PALIO DI SIENA

 The Palio di Siena (or Il Palio) is a horse race held twice each year on July 2 and August 16 in Siena, Italy, in which ten horses and riders, bareback and dressed in the appropriate colours, represent ten of the seventeen Contrade, or city wards.

The Palio held on July 2 is named Palio di Provenzano, in honour of Madonna di Provenzano, who has a church in Siena. The Palio held on August 16 is named Palio dell'Assunta, in honour of Assumption of Mary.

A magnificent pageant, the Corteo Storico, precedes the race, which attracts visitors and spectators from all over the world.

The race, in which the jockeys ride bareback, circles the Piazza del Campo, on which a layer of sand has been laid, is run three times around the square. It is not unusual for some of the jockeys to fall their horses while making the dangerous turns in the square and  it is not unusual to see un-mounted horses finishing the race without jockeys. The race is won by the horse who represents his contrada, and not by the jockeys. 

Piazza del Campo

 These races organized by the Contrade were popular since the 14th century

 From about 1590, the Contrade took to organizing races in the Piazza del Campo. The first of these races were on buffalo-back and races on donkey-back, later took their place, while horse-racing continued elsewhere. The first modern Palio  took place in 1656. At first, one race was held each year, on July 2; a second, on August 16, was added later on.

 

Clare in Siena

 

The seventeen Contrade are:

Aquila (Eagle), Bruco (Caterpillar), Chiocciola (Snail), Civetta (Little Owl), Drago(Dragon), Giraffa (Giraffe), Istrice (Crested porcupine), Leocorno (Unicorn), Lupa (Female Wolf), Nicchio(Seashell), Oca (Goose), Onda 

(Wave), Pantera (Black Panther), Selva (Forest), Tartuca (Tortoise), Torre (Tower) and Valdimontone &a